A casino, also called a gaming house or a gambling establishment, is a place where people play games of chance for money or other items. Casinos are most often found in resorts and hotels, where they can offer guests a wide variety of entertainment activities. They can also be built as standalone structures.
Most casino games give the house a predictable long-term edge over the players, but some have skill elements that can help players reduce this advantage. Skillful players are known as advantage players and may make significant short-term profits. Casinos typically impose a maximum betting limit on each game to prevent large losses.
In addition to standard gambling games like poker, blackjack, and roulette, many casinos feature other tables and entertainment options. These include baccarat, which first appeared in the Far East around 2300 BC, sic bo (which became popular in several European and American casinos during the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai gow. Some casinos also have special table games, such as trente et quarante in France and two-up in Australia.
Some casinos are owned by governments and operated as public corporations, while others are private businesses. The largest publicly owned casino in the world is Foxwoods in Ledyard, Connecticut, which offers more than 4.7 million square feet of gambling space, including six casinos and one bingo hall. In the United States, the majority of casinos are located in Las Vegas; Atlantic City is the second-largest city with a casino, while Chicago ranks third.